Since entering the political fray in a 2002 by-election, Pembroke MP Ashfield DeVent has repeatedly warned a failure to take action against drugs would have dire consequences for Bermuda.

Here are some of his public comments:

November 2002: "I guess with anything we are going to try to reduce the demand by educating people on the dangers of the abuse of drugs. But I would like to emphasise that it affects the whole community and it's going to take the community's honest or committed involvement to deal with it."

February 2003: "There is no reason for these people to be doing illegal activities openly and comfortably in houses in this Country, so I question the commitment of the leadership of the Police.

"Until the Police are committed to making it at least uncomfortable to sell drugs, we will have more drugs.

"We have a generation of people growing up seeing people openly doing it without having to run or hide and they now believe that is the thing to do."

March 2003: "Almost every club has become a place where drugs are being sold. If people volunteered one or two hours a week to take back their neighbourhood clubs, it is a step so that our children will have a place to go."

July 2003: "There is a basic problem of crime because in some areas there is the open sale of drugs where anyone can sit out on their porch and watch it happening.

"I take some issue with the school of thought that says there's no sense going after the little guy on the street. They should not be allowed to carry on their trade so easily and openly.

"The small guy on the street might become the next Mr. Big if you have open lawlessness on the street and they should be targeted."

December 2004: "The best way to deal with drugs is through education first. We have to educate young people and show them an alternative. We have to show them there is someone who has an interest in them and has a concern about their welfare."

August 2007: "There is open drug dealing and drug use off Court Street, they are selling drugs in Middle Town, Curving Avenue and in Parson's Road.

"Everyone seems to know it exists, except for the Police. People are afraid."

August 2008: "Where CCTV cameras are installed, the question is are they working because the illegal activity that takes place around those cameras has never abated. They haven't served any purpose to the people in the community."

December 2008: "We have a Big Conversation on race. Maybe it's time for us to discuss drugs.

"The society is suffering. We have a sickness in a sense. The first road to recovery is admission; is to get up and say, 'We are Bermuda. We have a problem. We have a drugs problem. We have a gun problem.'"

December 2008: "What would be allowed to happen in Court Street would most definitely not be allowed to happen on Front Street.

"Drugs are most definitely allowed to be sold in my area, but when the drug dealer turns up in Front Street the Police are quick to stop the behaviour."

March 2009: "There are people who continue to break the law and there doesn't seem to be any pressure on them. There are people that have been dealing drugs for years. Everyone knows it's them. Surely the Police must know?"

June 2009: "There are people in the community who everyone seems to know are involved, but the Police seem unwilling or unfocused to catch them."

July 2009: "Everyone seems too frightened to speak. The leaders of the Country haven't wanted to talk about it in the media and generally. We are having this conversation on race but I think the drug issue is equally important."

November 2009: "The Government alone can't stop this, the community must get involved, and I think the women in the community need to stand up and make something happen."

March 2010: "It's no sense marching. I personally don't want to see any more people marching through my area because it does absolutely nothing.

"You go home and say, 'I did something.' You did absolutely nothing.' "There are places where somehow we allow certain activities to take place over an extended period of time. This is the fruit of what we have allowed to take place. Let's be blunt and honest. We have some young people in this Country right now who have no respect for the value of life.

"That particular stretch of street has activity going on that's irregular since I was so-high. When you allow that to grow and grow and grow, eventually they don't have any respect for law and order."

Yesterday, Mr. DeVent told The Royal Gazette: "It's been extremely frustrating because, since I first started to talk about this, we have seen an escalation in physical attacks on each other. First it progressed to machetes, and now guns.

"I don't know if it's some thought that because we are a tourism destination we have been slow to admit we have had problems, or if it's for fear that we might chase off international business.

"But not talking about it, not confronting it, has allowed it to get worse. It's almost like a sore on your ankle. You leave it, and you end up having to cut off your foot.

"I think it's a general mindset that until it outright affects me, then it's not my problem. I think we can even relate that to the racial issues in this Country. One group were feeling opposed and oppressed. It didn't affect the white Bermudian at the time. It wasn't an issue to them. No one collectively saw the necessity to address it.

"We have recently seen the Mincy Report. We also have a consultant specifically to address racial issues. But truthfully I don't think either of them have said anything that most people didn't already know. These people knew opportunities weren't equal for them.

"The Pitt Commission after the riots spoke to that issue, spoke to certain solutions, and generally we have still been slow to outright act on it."